population=170,000<ref>[http://www.orthodox.ee/index.php?d=novost&myID=520 Communique of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate concerning the ordination of bishop for the so-called Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (Russian)]</ref>|

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population=170,000<ref>[http://www.orthodox.ee/index.php?d=novost&myID=520 Communique of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate concerning the ordination of bishops for the so-called Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church (Russian)]</ref>|

The Orthodox Church of Estonia (Estonian: Eesti Őigeusu Kirik, Russian: Эстонская Православная Церковь) is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church with jurisdiction in Estonia. Its current primate is Cornelius (Yacobs), with the title of Metropolitan of Tallinn and all Estonia.

The Estonian Orthodox Church should not be confused with the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church, an autonomous part of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Estonia. The Russian Orthodox Church does not recognize the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church, and its establishment in 1996 led to rupture of communion between the Moscow and Constantinople Patriarchates. Though communion was restored, relations between the two Patriarchates remain tense over the Estonian issue. In particular, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church ruled in 2000 that the Moscow Patriarchate will not participate in any pan-Orthodox gathering where delegates from the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church are present.

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History

In 1917, the vicariate of Revel (the historical name of Tallinn, the current Estonian capital), was established within the diocese of Riga. In 1920, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church decided to establish the autonomous Estonian Orthodox Church on the territory of the independent state of Estonia. The Russian Orthodox Church confirmed the autonomous status of the Estonian Orthodox Church in 1993.

Estonian Orthodoxy today

The Estonian Orthodox Church today consists of 31 parishes, served by 40 priests and 16 deacons, and one convent.[2]